Amnesty International said that the report from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) highlights the role of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue of the Islamic Emirate in human rights violations and fundamental freedoms in Afghanistan.
Amnesty International has also called on the United Nations to establish an independent international accountability mechanism to investigate crimes under international law and other serious violations in Afghanistan.
In a statement, Amnesty International wrote: “They must also ensure that gender justice is prioritized, and the involvement of women human rights defenders and civil society stakeholders remains central in all engagements with the Taliban on the future of Afghanistan. To fail to do so would be to turn our backs on the victims and their rights to truth, justice and reparation.”
Zaman Sultani, regional researcher for South Asia at Amnesty International, told TOLOnews: “What the so-called Ministry of Vice and Virtue of the Taliban is doing is widespread and systematic human rights violations.”
Earlier, in response to the UNAMA report, the Islamic Emirate said that the reporters of this institution are trying to examine Afghanistan from a Western perspective, which is not correct.
Abdul Ghafar Farooq, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, has also previously dismissed the claims made in the UNAMA report, stating that the Sharia rights of women and men in the country are upheld and everyone is treated according to Sharia.
Abdul Ghafar Farooq said: “With the rule of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan, the Sharia rights of all citizens, both men and women, are upheld, and everyone is treated according to Sharia.”
Additionally, Mohammad Sadiq Akif, a member of the Islamic Emirate, in a TOLOnews program in response to the UNAMA report on the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, added that the rights of all individuals in society are upheld according to Sharia, and the Islamic Emirate is obliged to implement Sharia rulings, not the demands of the world.
Mohammad Sadiq Akif said: “We are bound to Sharia. We are not bound to their [the world] demands that they impose on us. They should pay attention to themselves.”
At the same time, some political analysts and women’s rights activists have various views on the publication of the UNAMA report and Amnesty International’s statement.
“We do not want the world to stand by us in mere slogans, but to the extent that we see at least one result for the people of Afghanistan, especially women,” said Tafsir Siyahposh, a women’s rights activist.
“The esteemed Ministry of Vice and Virtue should clearly state its position regarding this report through a press conference and should explain and clarify its stance,” said Fazl Rahman Oria, a political analyst.
This comes as UNAMA, in a report, criticized the activities of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, adding that this ministry has violated some of the rights of Afghan citizens.